You may have your revenge
by Ramadiii
Summary: In a raid the vikings find a very special young lady. She does not seem to fear death but is there more to this girl than meets the eye?
1. Red locks and blood

**You may have your revenge**

**A/N: English language is in cursive, the vikings language isn't, just to make it a little easier for all of us.**

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"Look what I found!"

The vikings all turned to Rollo who came walking into the square with a furiously kicking girl over his shoulder.

"A real fighter this one." He laughed as he harshly dropped the girl to the ground, her hands tied together behind her back rendering her unable to soften her landing. "If no one has anything to say of it she will come back with me."

They had all expected her to run as soon as she touched the ground but to their surprise she didn't, she simply got up on her knees and shook the mop of red hair out of her face, bravely looking up at the men around her.

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Ragnar looked into the girl's blue eyes and was amused to see not fear but a fire burning strong.

He knelt down in front of the girl and despite her tough exterior he noticed her flinch as he reached out to touch a lock of her short hair.

"You are too young to have hair this short." He mused as he twirled it between his fingers. _"Why is it short?"_ He asked her in her own language, thankful he had gotten the priest to teach it to him.

"_They cut it."_ The girl hissed through gritted teeth, looking at him as if she wanted nothing but to rip his eyes out.

"_Why?"_

The girl simply looked at him in defiance, seemingly bored with talking to him but Rollo, who was not as patient as his brother, grabbed a firm hold of her hair and pulled her head back towards him.

"Answer him!" He growled as a small whimper of pain escaped the girl's lips and even though she didn't understand the words, she understood the message.

"_As punishment."_ She spoke in a clear voice, making the tears in her eyes seem like a vision.

"_Punishment for what?"_ Why he was so interested, Ragnar did not know, but chalk it up to good old fashioned curiosity.

"_I tried to kill a boy. They cut my hair and threw me in a dungeon as punishment."_

"_You tried to kill a boy?"_

"_I would have succeeded too if I had only planned it a little better." _The girl chuckled which, considering her current position, took them all by surprise.

"_So you know how to fight?"_

"_Give me a sword and I'll show you."_ She tilted her head slightly, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

"What is she saying?" Leif asked, annoyed by the conversation going on in a language that he did not understand.

"She wants me to give her a sword." Ragnar smiled as he spoke, enjoying the laughter that erupted at his words.

"So give her one!" Floki said, a mischievous grin on his face. "Let us see if she can actually use it."

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Ragnar stood up, drawing out his own sword as Rollo pulled the girl to her feet and loosened the rope around her wrists, handing her his sword.

The girl weighed the big piece of metal in her hand for a second, never taking her eyes of her opponent as she did.

One of the men reached her a shield but she did not accept it.

"_Take it, you will need it."_ Ragnar said, gripping his own shield in his left hand.

"_I do not fight with shields, you strike or you duck. That is how I've learned to fight."_ The red haired girl spoke, slicing the sword through the air twice, trying to get comfortable with its size and weight.

"Very well then." Ragnar reached his own shield to his wife who took it. "No shields it is."

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The girl noticed how the vikings closed a large circle around them, cutting off any way for the fight to be hindered.

She took a step to her left, the viking mimicking her movement. Another step and he followed suit.

Quick as a weasel and with a smile on her face she struck, catching the man off guard and managed to tear the tip of her sword into his side. She could see how blood escaped through the ripped fabric of his tunic but it was not much, barely a scratch.

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Ragnar stumbled back, clearly surprised by the girl's speed and bravery and he realized that he couldn't lose focus on her for even a moment or he would get hurt.

He charged at his young opponent who spun out of reach before his sword could do any damage. Giving the girl no time to think he struck again, this time the tip of his sword cut through the skin on her cheek and a good amount of blood flowed down her face as she jumped back, her backside hitting a big man behind her but who, thankfully, didn't push her forward but let her be.

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The viking once again charged at her but this time she more than ready for him, and as she ducked under his sword she jabbed him with her own but the unfamiliar weight of the weapon caused her aim to be off, only leaving another cut across his side. This time drawing more blood than before.

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Realizing he was tired of playing games with a child Ragnar put all of his power behind the next swing, knocking the weapon out of her hands before bringing the tip of his sword to her slender neck.

She did not fall to her knees, like he had expected her to. She did not beg for her life, she simply stood there, looking straight into his bright blue eyes, awaiting her death with no signs of sadness.

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"_Who taught you to fight like that?" _Ragnar asked as he regarded the girl.

"_I've learned from experience."_ She spoke, her voice clear of any signs of fear.

"_Answer me one question before I let you die. Why did you try to kill the boy?" _Again, that curiosity!

The girl lifted her head proudly, knowing that these words would be her last.

"_He raped me. I wanted my revenge, is all."_

Ragnar felt his eyes drift to his wife, it was not long ago that she had killed Knut for trying to rape her and he had been proud of her for it. Now this young girl stood in front of him, not much older than his own daughter, bleeding and waiting for him to kill her without her getting her revenge.

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"_Who is he?" _He asked, making the girl furrow her brows in confusion. _"The boy who raped you, what is his name?"_

She raised a slender hand and pointed behind the crowd of vikings still gathered around them.

"_His name is Gavin, and he is right there."_

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Looking to see where and what she had pointed at the vikings all turned to the small group of young men still alive from the raid.

A tall blonde boy, no more than 18 years old, stared back at them and spit at the sight of the red haired girl.

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Ragnar looked between them and he could see the hate brewing in the girl's eyes and without a second thought he picked up the sword he had knocked from her hands and handed it to her.

The girl stared at him, not understanding what he expected her to do but when he nodded at the boy something came alive in her.

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It was as if the war god Tyr himself had settled behind her eyes, the fire in them burned so strongly Ragnar could feel the heat from where he stood and had she been his daughter he would have been proud for the way she strode up to the boy.

She cut his ties and threw him to the ground with a strength that very few girls possessed. She walked up to the blonde boy with a smile on her face and as she drove the sword into his side she gave out a laugh, so wild and crazy she could have easily been mistaken for a viking.

Next was the boy's left arm, then the right one. Then his left leg, then his right leg.

And it was first when the boy's voice shattered from his pained screams that she plunged the metal into his heart, twisting it as she enjoyed seeing the last bit of life escape his eyes.

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Stepping away from the body she wiped the sword clean on her breeches before handing it back to Rollo as if it was made out of the purest gold.

"Thank... you." She spoke slowly, her tongue finding it difficult to pronounce the few words in the foreign language that her mother had once taught her.

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Turning to the blue eyed leader the girl dropped to her knees in front of him, her head held high and her eyes full of pride.

She had gotten what she wanted, now she could die without any regrets.

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**A/N: My first Vikings-fic! I'm not sure whether this is the end of the story. What do you think? Let me know if you want it to continue or if you simply liked it the way it was. The demand keeps me going ^^**


	2. Crosses and ropes

**You may have your revenge – Chapter 2 – Crosses and ropes**

**A/N: English language is in cursive, the vikings language isn't, just to make it a little easier for all of us.**

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"_What is that?"_

Floki looked up from his whittling to the girl sitting in front of him, staring at the wood in his hand with intrigued eyes.

He raised the small, nearly finished, wooden carving of Thor, his own way of asking if that was what she was asking about.

The girl nodded, seemingly happy about the viking understanding, if nothing else, her reason for speaking up.

"Thor." Floki answered, his lips twitching in that special way they always did when he spoke of the Gods.

"Thor..." The girl repeated the foreign name to herself before once again lifting her gaze to the stars above them, the rope around her neck tightened slightly as she did but it was not enough to constrict her breathing. The waves clucking softly against the ship made her relax and soon enough she was asleep, lulled into bliss by the melody of the wide open ocean.

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Despite the situation she was in the girl seemed to enjoy life aboard the viking ship. Every day of the long journey back to the Northmen's land her eyes followed the crew with excitement as they went about their business, repairing tiny nicks in the sail, cocking and navigating with the help of a strange bucket of water...

But most of all, she enjoyed watching the odd man with the dark streaks around his eyes, carve and whittle his little wooden statues.

She knew the names of some of them, Thor being the most apparent one, even though she had no idea who they were or what they actually did. She knew too little of his language to be able to ask him about it.

The only person who seemed to be able to speak in her own language was the leader, Ragnar, even though he had only spoken to her once or twice since they left England and then it was to ask her if she was hungry or thirsty.

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It bothered her that she did not understand what they were all saying and even though she tried to listen and connect words and sounds with the things they represented it was hard and eventually they always turned into hymns, gently lulling her to sleep.

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Arriving in Kattegatt's bay Rollo looked down at the sleeping girl, still tied to the mast. He had to admit that she was not bad to look at but that was not the reason he had taken her.

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He had been in this big manor, gone through every room, taken anything of value that he could find until he had come across a stair which had led him underground and there, behind a locked door he had found her and as her fearless blue eyes shone through the darkness and locked in his he had felt a shiver run up his spine. Along with an urge to bring her with him so strong he simply had not been able to fight it.

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There was something about this girl that had him on edge and he'd be damned if he could not find out what it was.

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Nudging her not-so-gently with his foot he managed to stir the girl from her sleep and as they made port he pulled her up by the rope around her neck and led her onto the dock and through the crowd.

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The girl felt very uncomfortable as she walked past the many people staring at her, speaking words she didn't understand but only could assume where about her, but never the less she kept her eyes locked straight in front of her on Rollo's massive back with no signs of fear.

Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a man with a small cross around his neck but as she stopped to take a closer look Rollo pulled her along harshly, causing her to stumble slightly before catching up to him again.

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They all entered a big house where, as far as the girl could imagine, someone of great importance lived.

It was a grey haired man who sat in front of them on something similar to a throne, dressed in beautiful furs, adorned with silver and gold, and when his cold eyes set their sights on her the girl quickly averted her eyes for the first time as a shiver of discomfort went through her body.

Again, not understanding more than a few words here and there, the girl felt her attention slip but by sheer will she managed to keep her focus on the conversation taking place.

She tried to piece the words together to create a context but it was a lot harder than she had first thought.

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The grey haired man, who's name appeared to be Haraldsson, said something about 'treasure' and 'me', which the girl noted seemed to upset most of Ragnar's crew even though none of them appeared to be stupid enough to speak up.

Ragnar then took a step forward and gestured to her as he spoke. The name 'Rollo' she recognized and the word 'is' she understood but whatever meaning the words had together did not seem to please the chieftain.

The two men stared at each other a long while until the older man sighed and raised his hand as if to dismiss them and as they left the chieftain's home the girl could not help but feel as if she had just escaped a terrible fate.

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Well outside the building it seemed to be time for reunion and celebration. Parents embraced their children, husbands kissed their wives and the people cheered for the brave men and women who had returned with riches from the West.

And in the middle of all this stood the girl, feeling more alone than ever before as she witnessed all the love and friendship around her and the only thing clinging onto her were the ropes at her neck and wrists.

But as she looked up she realized that the man at the other end of the rope was not embraced by anyone either, a few slaps on the back from villagers and friends but that was about it. But never the less he had a big smile on his face and didn't seem to be anything but glad to be home.

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The girl felt a soft hand on her shoulder and turned her head to find it belonging to a young man who's innocent blue eyes stared back at her.

"_Hello."_ He said and the girl felt a rush of relief as he spoke in a language she could understand completely.

"_Hello." _She smiled when she saw the cross hanging around his neck, knowing she couldn't have been wrong about seeing it before. "_You are a priest?" _She asked and nodded to the cross.

"_Yes, my name is Athelstan, my lady." _The priest answered, causing the girl to giggle in response. _"Why do you laugh?" _ He asked, bewildered by her reaction.

"_I have never been called a 'lady' before, least of all by a priest."_

"_So what is your name?"_ Athelstan asked and for a moment the girl's eyes flickered to the cross around his neck before returning to his face.

"_I..." _She hesitated slightly. "_I do not have a name."_

"Let's go!" Rollo suddenly called and tugged hard at the rope, hard enough for the girl to fall to the ground.

"_Let me help you up." _ Athelstan knelt down and placed a hand on her back to help her but was instantly pulled back up by Rollo who towered over the small priest like a bear about to deliver the fatal blow.

"Do not touch my property." He growled and pulled roughly on the rope again, only this time the girl was prepared and quickly got up on her feet to follow her captor to what would be her new home.

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**A/N: Hi guys! It's me again, with a new chapter! ^^ I've gotten some really awesome reviews on the first one and was happy to hear that you wanted this story to continue and so, here it is!**

**I have a question for all of you though, something that's been driving me crazy!**

**In what country does this story take place? Because the names are Scandinavian but in the first episode there is a Scottish Deerhound. They mention Sweden as a separate country so I was thinking maybe Island or maybe Denmark (seeing as they go to Kattegatt, but I don't recognize the language and the Nordic languages haven't changed all that much since the vikings) and yet they mention Uppsala and sail west to get to England...**

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**I am seriously confused and I can't find any real information about where exactly this is supposed to take place, what do you think?**

**Please, leave me a review and put me out of my misery ^^**

**Thank you for reading!**


	3. What if it is not a dream?

You may have your revenge – Chapter 3 – What if it is not a dream?

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**A/N: In this chapter the cursive will be dreams, as there is no English-speaking. I hope it's not too confusing that the cursive means different things in different chapters but I will try to make it as clear as possible, okay?**

**Then let's begin!**

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_Rollo looked at the girl from where he stood in the doorway, hidden from her sight._

_The dress she was wearing was simple and yet she looked stunning, her red hair had grown past her shoulders in the time she'd been with him and every so often she pushed it out of her face when she worked, an action which always caught Rollo's eye._

_She was setting the table for dinner and when she reached over to get something on the other side of it Rollo felt something snap inside of him._

_He strode over and pushed her down against the table, receiving a surprised gasp in return and he felt himself stiffen at the way her bum moved against him as she tried getting out of his grasp._

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_Faster than he'd ever thought possible he was inside of her, the warmth of her body embracing him, driving him to the edge of sanity._

_He could hear the girl's ragged breathing as he grasped her hips tighter, quickening his pace._

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_Then, in the blink of an eye, the girl easily spun around. Her eyes were darkened by lust and for some reason found himself backing away from her at the sight of them._

_A coy smile placed itself on her lips as she moved towards him, finally pushing him onto the bed as she got close enough._

_Rollo didn't even have the time to react as the girl straddled his hips and slipped his hard member inside of her again before starting to grind against him at a slow pace._

_Within seconds she was breathing heavily again and when she looked down on him with those blue eyes of hers Rollo could swear he had never seen a woman look more beautiful._

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_The way she moved against him, her back arched and her head thrown back as she panted and moaned literally had him gasp for air but when he brought his hands to her hips to once again take control... He found that he could not._

_It was as if an invisible force had possessed him and his arms moved on their own to place themselves above his head and as he tried to tear them from their place he looked up and stared straight into a pair of yellow eyes that made the fear spread through his body._

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_A large wolf stood above him, snarling, looking down at him as it placed two giant paws on his arms to keep them down._

_With the fear coursing through his system Rollo looked up but was shocked to see that the girl had not noticed the beast. She kept on grinding him, her pleasured moans filled the air and when she opened her eyes to look at him through her hair, already damp with sweat, it was not a pair of ocean blue eyes that stared back at him..._

_Yellow wolf-like eyes regarded him, as if deciding what to do with him and as the girl they belonged to reached her release she let out a howl and the beast above him tore into his flesh..._

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Rollo woke up drenched in sweat once again.

It was the third time in a month that he had dreamt the same dream and it was starting to frighten him. Rollo was not easily frightened but there was something about the wolf that terrified him, that haunted him even as he was awake.

He glanced over at the girl, still sleeping on her tiny bed at the other end of the room. Looking at her now, her red locks falling gently across her cheek, her chest softly heaving as she breathed, her eyes closed and looking utterly peaceful he had no idea where those images of her in his dream came from.

Not once had he felt the need to take her and yet he was dreaming of it, in his dream she took control. Rode him like a wild animal whilst a wolf restrained him from regaining his control over her.

She was the master. He was the slave.

He did not know where this came from but it was wrong! He was the master and she was the slave, end of story.

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Rolling out of bed he tried his best to clear his head as he walked up to her. Pulling the warm furs off of her body he could not stop the images of her on top of him, grinding against him, from flashing before his eyes and he breathed a sigh of relief when she opened her eyes and an ocean of blue, not yellow, looked up at him.

"Master." She said and stretched out her back. "What do you need me to do?"

"First of all, stop talking." He growled and the girl instantly shut her mouth. "Then take care of the goats and fetch more mushrooms. I'm heading out." He instructed and left the girl alone to deal with the farm.

Even though she was his property and he'd had her for almost two months he had not yet named her. What use could a slave have of a name, he'd thought to himself and so he simply called her 'girl' or nothing at all.

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The girl did not mind too terribly. Although she had told Athelstan differently that first time she had met him, she did have a name. Her mother had always called her by it, had said that it had been the will of her father but in England it was a cursed name, the church had punished her mother for uttering it by taking her life and so the girl had been too cautious to tell the priest.

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She had a name that she called herself, to her it did not matter if anyone else ever did.

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She did what she was told to do. After stuffing a piece of bread in her mouth she went out to feed and milk the goats, quite enjoying the quiet and their company before grabbing her basket to head into the forest in search for the mushrooms she knew her master loved.

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"Good morning, brother." Ragnar greeted his older brother as he sat down with them to eat. "You are alone today?"

"Yes." Rollo stuffed a piece of meat in his mouth, his mind elsewhere.

"That is too bad, Athelstan would have enjoyed the company." Ragnar laughed and slapped the priest's shoulder.

"She is a very nice girl to talk to." He defended quietly, trying to hide the blush on his face.

"Yes, well she has more important things to do than stand around here all day talking to you, priest." Rollo growled, he really did not like it when the two slaves spent time together, speaking in a language he had not yet fully mastered himself.

"I hope you did not send her out in the woods alone again." Lagertha spoke as she joined her husband and his brother at the table. "Some say they have seen a wolf prowling in the forest, not too far from here."

Rollo's mind instantly cleared up and he remembered the wolf in his dream... Surely they could not be connected...

"I'm sure the wolf will not be stupid enough to attack her. She would most likely bite its ear off if given the chance." Ragnar laughed and Rollo joined him, despite the tiny knot forming in his stomach.

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The girl could not help but let out a squeal of happiness as she travelled further and further from the path. The deeper into the forest she walked the more mushrooms she found and she wondered if her findings would lighten her master's mood some. He had been constantly miserable for nearly a month now and although she usually woke up before him, he had been the one to kick her out of bed for a while now which greatly troubled her.

When Rollo was miserable he tended to make her life miserable too, his temper worsened and her margin for error slighted and so she thought that bringing home a lot of his favourite mushrooms might give her some leeway, at least for the rest of the day.

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She was usually very energetic in the mornings but the further she went into the forest she found herself growing more and more tired until she could barely keep her eyes open any more.

Yawning widely she realized that her master would not be home to miss her for a good while and with that in mind she carelessly laid down in the green, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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_She woke up from someone softly calling her name. It was a name she had not heard since her mother was killed and it surprised the girl enough for her to open her eyes._

_She was still in the forest, the sun stood high in the sky and a cold breeze brushed past her as she suddenly felt the need to search for the voice which had called her cursed name._

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_Had she been able to feel fear she could not have thought of a better moment to feel it as she turned her head and stared straight into a pair of big yellow eyes belonging to the biggest wolf she had ever seen in her life._

_It was probably bigger than Rollo and when she managed to tear her gaze from those captivating yellow eyes she realized that it was missing one of its front paws. The right one seemed to have been chewed off by the looks of it and the girl fleetingly wondered how a beast in that condition could possibly hunt to stay alive but when she heard her name being called again she returned her eyes to its face._

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_The wolf regarded her as he towered over her but she was not afraid of him. She was intrigued and he seemed... amused by this._

"_You have your mother's eyes." The beast whispered and the girl's eyes widened._

"_You knew my mother?" She spoke, her voice thick._

"_Yes, I did." The wolf sat down, his long tail curling around him as he did. "In fact, I was there the day you were born."_

_The girl cocked her head slightly to one side, her shock apparent._

"_It is you..." She breathed. "You were the wolf who protected her from the bear that day in the woods."_

"_So she told you about me?" He seemed proud of this._

"_She told me you stayed by her side, protecting her as she gave birth to me... That you were the one to give me my name."_

"_And a strong name it is." He showed his big sharp teeth in what looked like a smile._

"_A cursed name." The girl remarked through gritted teeth. "It got my mother killed."_

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_The wolf sighed and dropped his ears back, a great pain shining in his eyes._

"_Yes... And it was a great loss, for the both of us."_

_The girl regarded him for a moment, despite his size he no longer looked majestic. He was sad and he meant the words he spoke, she could tell. What she did not understand was why._

"_Why have you come?" She asked, making his ear perk up and pulling himself from his sadness he stood up once again._

"_I have come to make sure what happened to your mother does not happen to you."_

"_And how will you do that?" She asked, standing up as well, realizing that the top of her head could barely even reach his shoulders._

"_Someone I trust will protect you."_

"_Who?"_

"_His name is Lyall and I think you two will become good friends."_

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Waking up the girl realized she must have slept longer than she had intended to. She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she had dreamt of the most peculiar thing. A wolf had come up to her, the wolf her mother had always told her about. He had told her things... Most of which she could not bring herself to remember but she remembered one thing clearly, a name...

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A rustle in the bushes not far from her brought the girl from her thoughts and despite being unarmed, without even so much as a knife, she readied herself for what ever was about to jump her and held her breath.

Out of the bush walked a big wolf, no where near as big as the one from her dream but slightly larger than any wolf she had seen with her own two eyes.

He regarded her with his big yellow eyes and the first thought that came to the girl's mind was how beautiful he was. Well fed, no signs of any scars or injuries and a healthy white and grey coat.

He looked at her, as if taking her in, before moving towards her on slow but steady paws.

He stopped a few feet from her and raised his head proudly as if introducing himself to her.

"Lyall?" The girl asked and the wolf showed his sharp teeth in a smile.

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Some dream, she thought to herself as she picked up her basket of mushrooms and slowly made her way back home, her new companion trudging behind her at a comfortable distance.

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He was not worried, Rollo told himself for possibly the tenth time. He was merely wondering where the girl was, the sun was about to set and she had not yet returned from the woods and he could not help the image of her being ripped to pieces by some wolf from flashing before his eyes.

I should at least have given her a knife, he thought to himself as he paced back and forth.

A little girl like her posed no threat to a beast of the wild and she would be lucky if it snapped her neck before tearing her apart.

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A sound coming from outside the house brought a stop to the violent images in his head and without thinking he rushed outside to see if the girl had returned.

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The sight which greeted him he would never forget. There she came walking down the hill, basket of mushrooms in her hands and not far behind her was the beast Lagertha had spoken of. It was close enough to attack and the girl seemed oblivious to it as she walked towards him.

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Rollo reached behind him to grab a firm hold of the axe at his belt, taking a steadying breath. He only had one chance to bring down the beast and his hand needed to be steady...

With the speed of a true warrior he quickly drew his arm back and launched the axe at the wolf, who somehow managed to dodge it, the weapon only leaving a small scratch on his front leg.

The girl gave up a loud scream as she realized what was going on and as Rollo rushed forward, knife in hand to kill the beast, she dropped the basket and threw herself at her master, knocking him to the ground and the knife out of his hand in the process.

"Please, do not kill him!" She begged of him but Rollo had had enough of the girl. He slapped her across the face and roughly pushed her off of him but as he did, the wolf who had shown no will to fight him suddenly drew his ears back, the hair on his back stood straight out and his teeth were bared as he rushed to the girl's side... Almost as if he was protecting her...

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Rollo tried to take a step towards them but the beast growled and snapped his powerful jaws at him, forcing him to take a step back again.

"Lyall, that's enough." The girl brought a hand to the wolf's mane as she softly whispered the words to him and to Rollo's amazement the beast relaxed and leaned into her touch, although he did not take his eyes off the viking.

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"We need to speak to Floki..." Rollo thought to himself as he watched the wolf help the girl pick up the mushrooms that had fallen from the basket.

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**A/N: Hello people! We are getting to the good stuff now ^^ Please leave a review if you liked it or if you have any questions! Reviews keep me going ^^**


	4. A father and a name

**You may have your revenge – Chapter 4 – A father and a name**

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**A/N: Hello people! Once again I'm stunned by the amazing reviews and how many of you have liked, favorited and followed this little story. There will be a shorter chapter posted right after this one because I really want this chapter to end where it does even though it's not as long as I would have liked it to be so bear with me, okay?**

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**I will also tell you that I've tried to do my research on this chapter, most of it's "facts" (if there are any in religion to begin with) and some of it's fiction but I'm hoping I've made it believable enough to enjoy!**

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Floki raised his blue eyes from the fire to glance up at the beast laying in front of him. It was resting on the floor right next to the girl, looking back at him as if interested in what he was thinking.

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He didn't think he would ever forget the sight that greeted him when he opened his door that evening, Rollo who looked like he had just seen Oden sprout a pig's head from his shoulder and his slave girl with her hand in the mane of a giant wolf.

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Helga had taken a liking to the beast and was sitting next to it, although no where near as close as the girl and she certainly was not touching it. She simply admired the great animal from a safe distance.

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"So what do you think, Floki?" Rollo asked when the silence became too much for him.

The girl had told them about her dream in the woods and how Lyall had been there when she had woken up. She had also mentioned that the wolf from her dream had been there for her birth and when she explained what it looked like Floki and Helga's eyes met across the flames and they instantly knew they were both thinking the same thing.

"You mentioned that the wolf at your birth told your mother what to name you." Floki said and the girl tore her eyes from the beast at her side.

"Yes."

"I thought you did not have a name." Rollo pointed out. Not that he would have used it anyway but it was common decency to share ones name with each other, especially when they live under the same roof.

The girl lowered her eyes, her reluctance of the topic clear for all to see.

"I do have a name." She said, her voice void of any real emotion. "But the Christians think of it as cursed and punishes those who utter it severely. My mother refused to deprive me of the name our protector gave to me, said it was nonsense that a name could be cursed..."

"What happened to her?" Helga asked gently when the girl went silent, lost in her own memories.

"They made an example out of her." She raised her head, hate and sadness in her eyes. "They took her from me, beat her and disgraced her before they took her head."

The wolf by her side whimpered softly as the girl's grip on his fur grew too tight in anger and throwing him an apologetic look she went back to stroking him gently again.

Floki saw the pain and hatred etched on the girl's face and was not sure how to proceed with his questions and so he decided the smartest thing to do was to get back to his original question.

"What is your name, girl?"

The girl sighed a deep sigh, almost as if gathering her courage before turning her blue eyes back to him.

"'Brynja'." She said. "That is the name the wolf gave me when I was born."

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Floki could feel his heart stop for a second, he glanced at Helga and realized they were once again thinking the same thing.

"Floki, what is it?" Rollo asked impatiently when his friend seemed to know something that he was not telling him.

"You said that the wolf in your dream only had one front paw, no?" Floki asked the girl, completely ignoring Rollo.

"Yes." She looked confused.

"And the wolf present at your birth, it was the same one, correct?" Floki almost stuttered now, he was so excited.

"It was just as big and had no front paw, so I am guessing it is." Brynja looked to Rollo to see if he understood what had gotten Floki so excited but he looked about as clueless as she felt.

"Do you know what your name means, child?" The blue-eyed man asked and Brynja simply shook her head.

"No one in my village knew."

"Of course they did not!" Floki could no longer sit still and his sudden fit of laughter made him sound slightly mad. "Your name comes from the North so the people in the West could not possibly know its meaning."

"Then, what does it mean?" Brynja looked at the man who was nearly jumping out of his own skin, giggling softly to himself.

"It means 'armour'." Helga offered, calmer than her lover. "Do you know of the god Tyr?" She asked, her question directed at both Rollo and Brynja.

Rollo, of course, nodded but the girl shook her head.

"He is the god of battle and games." Helga started telling the story. "It is said that when the son of Loki, the Fenriswolf, went rampant in Asgard and the gods wanted to banish him it was only Tyr who did not fear him. So Tyr, fearless as he was, lured the Fenriswolf to the realm of death, Hel, but once there the wolf got suspicious and demanded the god to place a hand in his mouth as proof that Tyr was not trying to trick him. But when the other gods managed to tie the wolf up he was so angered by the betrayal that he bit Tyr's right hand clean off."

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Brynja felt Lyall place his head in her lap and she felt herself letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. The story made her skin tingle, as if there was something familiar about it, as if she had somehow been there...

"Ever since then it is said that whenever Tyr appears amongst folk it is in the shape of a three-legged wolf. The wolf has since been his symbol, a symbol for bravery and fearlessness, traits which you seem to have inherited." Helga smiled and Brynja felt out of breath, as if she had just run for miles.

"What do you mean?" She asked and Rollo found he could not have asked a better question himself.

"Tyr was there when your mother gave birth to you." Floki spoke again, his voice trembling. "He protected you and led you back to his people. He sent a wolf to watch over you..."

He sat down and looked her straight in the eye.

"He gave you a name, a strong name... Befitting the maiden of war."

"What are you saying?" Brynja felt her vision cloud slightly.

"Brynja, you are the daughter of a god." Helga placed a gently hand on her arm and the girl took a steadying breath as she looked down at the wolf beside her.

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Lyall raised his large head from her lap and looked at her as if saying _"I am at your service, my princess."_


	5. What's in a name?

**You may have your revenge – Chapter 5 – What's in a name?**

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**As promised, another chapter! I know I've been absent recently, especially since I promised some of you I would have the next chapter up and running within a week. I just started another year at Uni and I'm at school from 6 am to 12 pm almost everyday with schoolwork and activities so I've been kind of busy lately ^^ But I hope that these two chapters help make up for my absence, do tell me if you liked it!**

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Brynja had never thought of a name as anything but what you and other people called yourself. As a way to get someone's attention and nothing more.

But walking into town with Rollo, Floki and Lyall by her side she felt that she could not have been more wrong. From having been looked at like she was filth and people speaking bad things about her when they knew she listened, to curtsying and polite nods. Some children even sat on their parent's shoulders to get a good look of the war-god's daughter and her magnificent beast.

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They were on their way to the chieftain, Haraldsson, to give a proper explanation as to who she was and discuss what the future would hold for her.

She was nervous, she had to admit. Haraldsson always managed to make her feel uncomfortable. She was not afraid of him mind you, from what she could recall she had never been afraid once in her life but according to Helga that was one of her father's most prominent traits.

'Her father'... It was strange to be able to think that.

After 16 years of not having a father she suddenly had one, a god none the less. And having a father meant she now had a full name.

Brynja Tyrsdotter, the daughter of Tyr.

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Stepping into the chieftain's house she was not surprised to see that some of the greatest warriors had gathered for the meeting, there among Rollo's brother Ragnar and his wife Lagertha.

For her own comfort Brynja joined them, enjoying the sight of the familiar and friendly faces. Where the rest of the town, her own master included, had whispered and jeered her Ragnar and Lagertha had willingly opened their home for her, had let their children play with her whenever she was around. She had even made friends with the priest Athelstan too although Rollo had never condoned of their friendship.

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She had always felt more like a friend then a slave in their company but now she almost felt like what she thought royalty felt like. They looked at her with the greatest respect and somehow it made her feel somewhat out of place, she was not used to that at all.

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Haraldsson on the other hand did not wast much respect on her. He still looked at her as if she was something unwanted, as if she was something the cat had dragged in.

When the room quieted down he motioned for her to stand in front of him, albeit still far away, enough for his head to remain higher than hers.

He let her stand there while he observed her in silence, as if this was the first time he had ever seen her.

After the longest time he finally looked her in the eye and was shocked to see her blue eyes staring right back at him.

He told her to explain herself, why they had gathered in his house, as if she was a mere child about to be scolded.

It would appear he was not sure whether to believe her story and Floki's explanations as his cold eyes seemed to stare into her very soul but never the less Brynja kept her focus and answered his gaze.

"Why should I believe you?" He suddenly asked, causing Floki to take a less relaxed stance behind her. "You could have easily made up this story and as for the wolf..." His eyes turned to Lyall who followed Floki's example. "He is probably just a mongrel, looking more like a wolf but the dog that he is."

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Out of the corner of her eye Brynja could see the wolf moving and just as he launched for the disrespecting chieftain she stood in his way. His yellow eyes went wide and he wrung his body mid-air to try to miss her. He succeeded and landed hard on the floor a few feet away from her.

"Kill that monster!" Haraldsson screamed, his heart beating furiously at the thought of death at the beast's hands.

When nobody moved he gave the order again, this time louder. Lyall had gotten up from the ground and was now showing his teeth, daring anyone to obey the man's order.

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One of the men, Brynja remembered his name to be Knut, approached the two of them with axe in hand.

"You had better get out of my way, little girl." He said when she ran to her wolf's side, blocking the viking's way. "You might get hurt."

He swung the axe, no regard for her what so ever but by a miracle she managed to block the swing of the heavy weapon and push him back.

Knut, shocked by the girl's strength, stood still for a moment, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Then he collected himself and charged the girl again but this time someone, she did not register who, handed her a sword and she raised it without difficulty above her head to block his axe.

The vikings had backed away, creating a ring around them and although Haraldsson objected loudly and spouted more orders none of them seemed to hear him.

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Most of them had never seen the girl fight and the fact that she was risking her own young life to protect the wolf who had just, albeit unintentionally, attacked her made them even more intrigued.

They circled each other, trading blows and swung their weapons. Suddenly the room went eerily silent. First blood had been drawn.

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Knut stumbled back, a hand to his injured face and as he took his eyes off the girl to inspect the amount of blood on his hand Brynja flashed forward. A hard kick to the back of his leg and he was down on his knees, the girl stayed behind him, raising the sword to his neck, her blue eyes staring straight at Haraldsson. Waiting... Baiting him to do something.

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The room was quiet, most were in shock of the girl's ability to defeat a full-grown man and those who were not simply looked at her with pride shining in their eyes.

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"Enough!" Haraldsson called, his blood boiling at the girl's bold actions. "Let him up."

"I will let him up if you swear my companion will come to no harm." Brynja said, the drops of Knut's blood made small streaks down her face as she spoke as she looked into the chieftain's angry ones.

Haraldsson was silent for a moment but the furious shaking of his shoulders spoke volumes. He wanted the girl dead right there and then but he feared for Knut's life and that was enough for him to back down... For now!

"I swear it." The chieftain gritted through his teeth. "Now let him up."

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With a warning glance at Lyall Brynja let the man up and casually returned to her assigned place, standing right in front of the greyhaired man.

Haraldsson looked into the girl's eyes and felt his whole body tremble in fear at the sight of the fire lit in them. He found that he could not look away, they drew him in and it was not until Siggy placed a gentle hand on his arm that he managed to tear himself from the oceans of blue staring straight at him.

Coming back to reality the chieftain realized that everyone present were following the girl's example, staring at him and waiting for his judgement.

"We will take her to the seer, then we will know for sure."

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"Why did you stop me from killing him?" Lyall's voice sounded in her head once they were outside the chieftain's home.

"It would have done more harm than good to kill Haraldsson." Brynja thought back, her hand burying itself in his thick mane as he walked beside her.

"That man deserved to die. He doubted you and mocked me, he tried to make a spectacle of the descendent of Tyr and of your guardian. But I meant the other one, why did you stop me from ripping his throat out when he got up?"

Brynja's thoughts cleared for a moment, before turning her mind back to her companion.

"Because there are better ways of showing Haraldsson who has the power now. I do, and I will make damn sure he knows it when the time is right."


End file.
